I am a parent of a student entering 6th Grade at Arizona School for the Arts. I work in Education…read moreand I talk to Teachers, Curriculum Directors, and Principals from all over the West Coast. And,I am married to a former teacher at ASA. I am passionate about this school. I will admit, I was suspect. I thought the parents who were so ecstic over the education offered at ASA might be a little off. It couldn't be that good. Really? My son started school with all the aprehensions of a 5th Grade student who knew very little about music, was active in sports and was very sad about leaving his friends behind. We (even he) chose this school because they had a strong emphasis on education and we expected the school to offer my son the opportunity to learn in an environment that was strict, supportive and creative. We were not disappointed. ASA was all that - and MORE! The academic teachers are inventive, collaborative, and very supportive. The arts teachers are music professionals and perform with and for the students and move them along in the curriculum with such finesse it's like they have private music lessons every day. And, the year was a success. My son was delighted with all his classes, especially his music classes with Monica Sauer Anthony. What a surprise to find him begging us to play his clarinet every evening before we had dinner or before we participted in a famly event. He loved the Science Curriculum, the hands-on activity and his teacher's passion for education. He worked hard in Language Arts and Social Studies and really showed off his new found maturity and knowledge during Presentation Week. And the lessons he learned in Life Skills class were really applicable and life changing. Then the performances at the end of the year were very remarkable and telling. I saw kids excelling in their musical expertise and showing off this success with such poise and confidence that I couldn't believe these were the same kids I met just 10 months prior at our summer welcome parties. The school does have a rigorous application process that leaves you on edge just wondering if your son or daughter will be permitted entry into this prestigious, blue ribbon school. The school doesn't tolerate any bullying and supports all types of students. And, the school is near Downtown Phoenix, so there are issues with the campus being spread across some streets, but those are being addressed quickly as they are building and expanding into new facilities that will offer a number of benefits for the ever-growing school. This school is really a dream. It's an educational opportunity I would recommend to any parent. I think my son would write a similiar recommendation!

I have had 6 kids there over the years and the school has really gone downhill recently…read more Leadership cannot keep things straight, then invent new policies and apply them here and there but no constancy and a huge lack of communication. The students are the ones losing out due to them shifting to be a very punitive type of campus. They have taken retaliatory actions against my children for me pointing out their hypocrisy and sadly the kids are only there because they want to be there whereases before I loved and supported the school and wanted them there, now i dont but they want to be there, so im trying to put up with it but many parents i talk to are disappointed with them as well, and new parents should be warned. They cut dozens of good teachers due to loss of students, but they seem to want to push more out!!!

This place is a JOKE. i transferred from the LA campus a few years ago and even to transfer was a…read moremess . It took me speaking out to be told if i delete what was posted they'd let me in . I then had lost my step mom and failed vascular lecture 2x. My mistake . I was dropped from the school , and was told i had to pay back my financial aid then can reapply for reentry . Well i was able to pay over $1,000 back and reapplied and wrote a letter i then got a call it was discussed at the monthly meeting and they decided to not let me back in . This place doesn't care about people trying to better their future they care about money only . I've been trying to appeal the decision for a year with no response from the school . Apply at the risk of them acting like they care and support you when they really don't .

My wife endured this school. It's the most incompetent, unprofessional, and in structured school…read morethat is only trying to get the numbers out. Let's talk about the revolving door of instructors and staff. We both got pretty close to a lot of staff and instructors. Most of them admitted they would be leaving shortly and they eventually did. They will tell incoming students exactly what you want to hear. The truth is, the revolving curriculum is so unstructured, students mesh together during different quarters, into classes they're not ready for yet, but the other students are. You're all mixed together, regardless of where you are in progress. Also, Aspen university nursing plan has just been shut down for the SAME EXACT ISSUES occurring here. Currently talking to a friend who is being pushed back because her CPR card wasn't accepted by the school. Even though other students used the same one. The staff doesn't talk to each other, and once instructor might ok something another won't. There is absolutely ZERO structure. Your images will be pass or fail all depending on who is there that day. Good luck!

So talented and inspiring. Absolutely a pleasure to take a class and work in the studio…read more Highly recommended.

Went with a friend to take a fused glass class. It was great. We started out picking a shape and…read morethen created a personal design. Great instructions and feedback when putting the final touches on the piece before it went into the Kiln. The finished piece turned out beautifully.

Robin really makes learning art fun. She's patient and understanding. She seems to be particularly…read moregood with kids too.

From the owner: RS Design Concept pursues the creation of art and design with a diverse, eclectic style. We offer…read morea wide range of services that include painting parties, team building events, healing through the arts, private art lessons, murals, custom art work, furniture & interior design.

My daughter is wrapping up her freshman year as a pre-nursing student at ASU's downtown Phoenix…read morecampus. In summary, ASU has been awesome! She chose ASU over other universities because of (1) "direct admission" into ASU's nursing program; (2) admission to ASU's Barrett Honors College, reportedly the gold standard of honors colleges; (3) great merit-based scholarships that ASU automatically offered to her; (4) a great reputation in the world of nursing, with clinical opportunities at Mayo's Phoenix hospital and Phoenix Children's Hospital. As a Barrett student, my daughter lives on the 14th floor ("penthouse") of Gordon Commons in a good-sized two-person room with a private bathroom. (Her boyfriend is in the Best dorm on the Tempe campus. It's not nearly as nice.) She likes the dorm food and the ability to use dorm food credits at nearby eateries, e.g., Chick-Fil-A. She sometimes takes the shuttle to the Tempe campus and pays extra to eat at the Barrett dorm there. Reportedly, the Barrett food is epic. For her pre-nursing classes, she has found she is more college-ready than her classmates. On team projects, she often must correct classmates' mistakes. She enjoys her Barrett class, where she finds a higher caliber of student and an engaging professor. She's now beginning some of her special research obligations as a Barrett student. As a "direct admit" nursing student, my daughter must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher each semester. Last semester, she got a 4.0 with several "A+" grades. This semester is also going well, but she is taking a challenging anatomy class along with pre-med and other pre-health professions students. Apparently, it is a weed-out class. She is on the border between an A and B; all her friends are in the D-range. Fun fact: the students are already working with cadavers. A random fact: ASU will open its brand new medical school in 2026. As is the case everywhere, a lot of students prefer partying to studying, but the downtown Phoenix students tend to be more serious and have fewer distractions. Some students prefer the quieter downtown atmosphere; others prefer the busier Tempe campus. Next year, my daughter will be living in her sorority house in Tempe and taking the shuttle to downtown for half of her classes. It's a 20-minute ride. ASU does remarkable outreach to parents and enthusiastically encourages family involvement in many aspects of the university. (By contrast, our other daughter attends a University of California school, which does NO family outreach.) So, I have volunteered for several roles, e.g., ASU Family Ambassador. The ASU website offers family access and tons of information and resources. This feature is being upgraded as I write this. Also, several Facebook groups offer a plethora of helpful information and support. My favorite is ASU Moms. Typical situation: a student has a medical emergency; parents can't immediately fly to Phoenix; a local mom helps out as if it were her own kid. At the outset of the college application process, ASU was not on our radar. However, it did spectacular marketing and really grabbed our attention. Plus, its rolling admissions gave our daughters the comfort of knowing they had at least one solid option. Whereas many universities are inexplicably turning down incredible applicants who show strong promise of future success (including our daughters), ASU seems eager to recruit and reward all these über-qualified, frustrated, overlooked kids. I think this is a great strategy: I believe ASU will ultimately make the University of California schools seem exceedingly average. No university is perfect, but overall, I heartily recommend ASU.

When someone thinks of Arizona State University, they often think of the Tempe Campus and a large…read moreschool experience. What they may not realize is that while that experience is great for many people, yet others may be looking for a different experience. The ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus is smaller than the Tempe Campus yet it's a community where every student has the potential to feel connected with resources and it is still large enough (as ASU's second largest campus) that there is always something happening. It's growing as a campus and has transformed quickly from a commuter campus (when it first opened) to a residential campus with nearly 2,000 bed spaces in two residence halls. Opened for classes in 2006, the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus has hit many milestones over the last several years. For instance, in April 2023, the Taylor Place residence hall was renamed Gordon Commons in honor of former Mayor Phil Gordon. This campus meshes well with the Downtown Phoenix area as they share streets, parks, and nearby restaurants and stores. In fact, ASU is actively involved in monthly stakeholder meetings with the Downtown Phoenix Inc. (DPI). It helps Downtown stakeholders in knowing what's going on at ASU while it helps ASU to know what's going on around the Downtown Phoenix area. For instance, ASU students and staff enjoy participating in First Fridays while DPI is involved in ASU Welcome Week events. As the campus continues to grow and become more engrained in the Downtown Phoenix culture every year, the number of buildings on campus continue to increase. In addition to academic buildings such as those of Cronkite, Thunderbird, and the Beus Center for Law and Society, there are student services available in University Center and Student Center at the Post Office. There are also classrooms within the Mercado Center and Arizona Center and even the Fusion on First residence hall and 850 PBC. Within Gordon Commons (another residence hall) is a Starbucks, Chick-fil-a, other restaurants, a Multicultural Communities of Excellence space, a dining hall, and marketplace. There is also some interesting art on campus such as the "Her Secret is Patience" sculpture above the Civic Space Park. There is also a beautiful Sun Devil Fitness Center with a roof-top pool. Needless to say, there is something for everyone on the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus. At the Downtown Phoenix Campus, every student can drive their own experience as they engage in the events and resources on-campus while attending classes, getting an on-campus job, landing an internship or full-time job, joining clubs and organizations, attending many free events and activities, and so much more. The Dean of Students Office (in the Post Office) and the many student services offices at ASU Downtown Phoenix are always there for students, and it's easy to find your way towards graduation and your future when taking advantage of these resources. I look forward to seeing what comes next on such an engaging campus such as the ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus in the coming years!

What a wonderful space available downtown Phoenix. Their website does not do justice to the work…read morethey have put in to create a great event space with bar, stage, garden and all amenities. Attended a wedding at Alwun and can say this place is a new favorite event space downtown. Very quiet, picturesque and really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown environment around Fountain, bar, tables & chairs, stage, covered area and great lighting. Really wonderful in person.

Started First Friday at Alwun House. My first time there and I really enjoyed walking around the…read morerooms of the old house. The art was quite nice with mixed media that was at time part Hellraiser, and part Roman Emperor Caligula. I love to look at art, it focuses my attention as I slow down stop and reflect. Art always challenges one to shift one perspective and muse new ways of thought and bent on life. The patio and outdoor landscape is equal parts calmness with water gently gurgling, koi fish swimming with lush pretty plantings and equal parts First Friday pumping techno bass, food trucks and art stalls. If you haven't been so check out Alwun House, support local businesses and artists!!

A cute little shop with a fun little gumball machine for a gatchapon stitch marker…read more I stopped by for some souvenir yarn and loved the experience.

This is a nice little yarn shop. I didn't find the selection to be huge, and there weren't many of…read moremy favorite brands stocked there. However, I did buy a few things to support local anyway. The person behind the counter didn't speak to me hardly at all, which is something I have grown to expect at most LYS. Some friendly banter about what I'm making with the yarn or something like that, not a major thing but it made me feel a little awkward not really being spoken to whatsoever. It has a dedicated parking lot in back which is wonderful for the location. I hope to see it thrive, but I might continue going to different yarn stores that have a bit of a warmer reception.

They gave full sandwiches. Chips. Cookie. Pickle. Overall not sus at all despite previous reviews…read more Recommend.

Attended a charity event held in the Virginia Piper Theatre. The parking for this building is not…read moreideal. The parking lots nearby are very small and when there's a large event, you have to park far away...not good when you're dressed up and your Wife is in heels. The room is pretty small. There were a couple hundred people in the room and it was tight for a buffet dinner party and auction tables. It reminded me of a high school dance in the space because of the wood floor and acoustics in the room. Tip: Ladies be careful wearing heels in the Theatre. There are small square cutouts randomly placed on the floor that have a soft lid to them and if you're wearing heels your heel will fall into them. There were at least 2 to 3 ladies, including my Wife who had this happen to them and almost hurt themselves. The event made some money for a good cause and was staged by U of A Medical School students. I'm down with the cause, so I'll be back. Return Factor - 100%